Author: Lora Davenport

Encouraging Someone to Help Others

An Interview with Megan Broom

Written By: Aniqa Ahmed, Advocacy Intern of The Foodbank, Inc.

Megan Broom began volunteering at The Foodbank, Inc. in 2018 as part of a school project that helped fulfill a 25 hour volunteer credit requirement. One year and over 100 hours later, Megan is still giving her time by helping out in the warehouse and for off-site events. What stood out to Megan there was a real feeling of “good” surrounding the culture of the organization. When she says that, she not only means the act of community service, but also that the staff and volunteers are welcoming, encouraging, and knowledgeable, noting, “No organization is perfect, but it’s hard to find flaws in their operation.”

Growing up in the middle-class suburb of Kettering, Megan was fortunate enough to have an amazing support system where food insecurity had never been an issue. However, she was encouraged to help someone who needed a meal. In her own words, Megan believes, “Eating together builds trust. Cooking together creates bonds. I’m happy to have spent time with an organization which helps to provide the means to such outcomes.”

Megan is currently working for Patchwork Gardens, a local chemical-free farm in Trotwood. She has always been interested in learning how to grow her own food and what it takes to do so on a larger scale. When Megan first started volunteering with The Foodbank, Inc., she was informed that Patchwork Gardens donates excess produce to The Foodbank, Inc. She then started volunteering on the farm and was hired on for the 2019 growing season. She states, “The connection between the two organizations means a great deal to me,” thus influencing her decision to take the position at Patchwork Gardens.

Megan exclaims, “I don’t believe people can be expected to perform if they are hungry – children can’t learn; adults can’t work. So, for me, The Foodbank, Inc. is an example of the community helping itself to thrive.”

September is Hunger Action Month, Feeding America’s nationwide network of food banks’ awareness campaign designed to mobilize the public to take action on the issue of hunger. Hunger is a reality for 1 in 6 of our Miami Valley neighbors. Together, we can end hunger one helping at a time. Every action counts, so visit us on social media @thefoodbankinc to learn how you can get started.

The Foodbank, Inc. invites the media to an unveiling event on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at 2 pm in the Urban Garden located at The Foodbank.

The Foodbank, Inc. is committed to reducing food waste and lowering carbon footprint, and this new technology is a large step in that direction. It will also be used as an educational tool for the community on how to dispose of food waste and repurposing it in an eco-friendly manner. This project was made possible through funding from the Ohio EPA, The Kroger Foundation. Tom Greene, President and CEO of Greene Tool Systems, will provide photography of the unveiling.

Speakers: Michelle L. Riley, The Foodbank, Inc.

Angel Arroyo-Rodriguez, Ohio EPA

Van Calvez, Green Mountain Technologies

Where: The Foodbank, Inc., in the fenced-in garden area

56 Armor Place

Dayton, OH 45417

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The Foodbank relieves hunger in the community through a network of partner agencies by acquiring and distributing food. Food and related supplies are distributed to a network of pantries, community kitchens, shelters and other charitable programs, all of which support the health and development of food insecure individuals in the Miami Valley. Through our over 100 member agencies, The Foodbank distributed over 16 million pounds of food last year. There are 116,720 food insecure individuals in our area, 33,770 of which are children.

Local Businesses Create Sculptures out of Canned Goods

(September 25, 2019 Dayton, OH) – To raise awareness on hunger in the Miami Valley and support The Foodbank, local businesses are building sculptures out of canned goods with CANstruction® which will be on display for the public.

Local construction companies, architects, engineers and manufacturers, will create structures completely from canned goods on site at the Dayton Mall October 2. The event, sponsored by the Ohio Valley Associated Builders and Contractors, will run from October 2 through October 14. The structures, some of which could reach 10 feet high, will be on display at the center of the mall, just outside of Macy’s. All canned goods collected from the event will be donated to The Foodbank to support local hunger relief. Judges will score the CANstructions by Structural Ingenuity, Best Original Design, Best Use of Labels, Best Meals, People’s Choice, and Most Cans.

Michelle L. Riley, CEO of The Foodbank, said, “One in six people in the Miami Valley struggle with hunger. While it is easy to host a food drive to collect nonperishable food items, it takes creativity, ingenuity, and a lot of time to make art out of canned goods. Thanks to Ohio Valley Associated Builders and Contractors and Miami Township, the canned goods collected will provide hundreds of meals for our neighbors in need. We look forward to seeing the teams create their structures all while making a difference for our community.”

John Morris, Miami Township Trustee Vice President said, “The township is excited to be hosting CANstruction inside the Dayton Mall. We hope that people from all over the region come to shop, eat and view these amazing works of art, bringing canned goods of their own to donate. Collection barrels will be available throughout the mall. We expect to be able to collect and donate nearly 50,000 cans from this event.”

The public is invited to view the artwork at the Dayton Mall from October 2 through October 14. Visitors are encouraged to drop off their own donations beginning the week of October 2 through October 14.

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The Foodbank relieves hunger in the community through a network of partner agencies by acquiring and distributing food. Food and related supplies are distributed to a network of pantries, community kitchens, shelters and other charitable programs, all of which support the health and development of food insecure individuals in the Miami Valley. Through our over 100 member agencies, The Foodbank distributed over 16 million pounds of food last year. There are 116,720 food insecure individuals in our area, 33,770 of which are children.

Canstruction® is a non-profit 501(c)3 charity which hosts competitions and events creating awe-inspiring, gigantic structures made entirely out of full cans of food. Teams of volunteers, which include design industry professionals, participate in Canstruction events in 150+ cities around the world each year. Afterwards, all food is donated to local food banks. Since 1992, Canstruction has raised over 72 million pounds of food for hunger relief organizations around the world with its signature, trademarked CanArt®.

The Aftermath of the Dayton Tornadoes

by Aniqa Ahmed, Advocacy Intern

The night of May 27, over a dozen tornadoes ripped through the Dayton Area. The storm, with winds reaching 140 mph, left many families displaced and without electricity, water, and food.

The Foodbank, Inc.’s response began at 5:30 am the following day with Charles Martin III, Service Center Manager, and Michelle Riley, CEO, strategizing how they would get mass amounts of water to the areas most affected. The organization, already flooded with donations from the community, opened its doors by 8:00 am for water distribution. The next day, The Foodbank, Inc.’s onsite drive thru stayed open the entire day to distribute emergency food and water. The heavy traffic flow would continue through mid-July.

The week after the disaster, The Foodbank, Inc. hosted over 1,000 volunteers to help with various aspects of food and water distribution. In the aftermath, the organization provided millions of bottles of water and hundreds of thousands of pounds of food and personal supplies to the community. The team worked days on end distributing these products to Dayton residents in need of relief.

This was not the first time The Foodbank, Inc. helped with disaster relief. The organization was originally a Red Cross operation called the Emergency Resource Bank. And, since becoming a stand-alone nonprofit in 2004, The Foodbank, Inc. has provided aid across the nation in response to disasters. When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas in August 2017, the organization jumped into action, collecting and sending water and supplies to foodbanks in the affected area. This experience with disaster relief helped the team as they worked to make sure every individual’s needs, from water to food and hygiene products, were met. To learn more about The Foodbank, Inc.’s work in disaster relief, click here.

September is Hunger Action Month, Feeding America’s nationwide network of food banks’ awareness campaign designed to mobilize the public to take action on the issue of hunger. Hunger is a reality for 1 in 6 of our Miami Valley neighbors. Together, we can end hunger one helping at a time. Every action counts, so visit us on social media @thefoodbankinc to learn how you can get started.

The Foodbank to hold mass food distribution for Montgomery County

Dayton, OH (9/13/2019): The Foodbank will be hosting a mass distribution on Friday, September 20th for people in need of food assistance in Montgomery County at UD’s Welcome Stadium from 9am to 11am.

The Foodbank works with food pantries across Montgomery, Greene, and Preble counties to feed people who qualify for food assistance. On September 20th, The Foodbank will be giving out food to individuals through a mass distribution at UD’s Welcome Stadium in Dayton. Individuals are welcome to come to Welcome Stadium at 9am where they will receive fresh produce and other products at no cost. CareSource is sponsoring the event and will be volunteering their time to help pass out the food. The distribution will be set up as a drive-thru.

Michelle Riley, CEO of The Foodbank, says, “There are 90,600 individuals in Montgomery County alone who do not know where their next meal is coming from and we don’t want to see anyone go hungry in the Miami Valley. With support from CareSource, The Foodbank looks forward to serving those in need through this mass distribution.”

“The CareSource Foundation and The Foodbank have been great partners for over a decade,” said Cathy Ponitz, Vice President, CareSource Foundation. “Our mass food distributions are a result of understanding the unique needs of people in our surrounding communities. We’re honored and excited to greet our Montgomery County families with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, served by nearly 200 CareSource employees.”

The food will be given out to families free of charge.

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The Foodbank relieves hunger in the community through a network of partner agencies by acquiring and distributing food. Food and related supplies are distributed to a network of pantries, community kitchens, shelters and other charitable programs, all of which support the health and development of food insecure individuals in the Miami Valley. Through our over 100 member agencies, The Foodbank distributed over 16 million pounds of food last year. There are 120,040 food insecure individuals in our area, 34,650 of which are children.

Volunteering for Hunger Action Month and Beyond

Written By: Aniqa Ahmed, Advocacy Intern for The Foodbank, Inc.

It is no doubt that volunteers are the backbone of The Foodbank, Inc. Because of their consistent dedication and their enduring passion, The Foodbank, Inc. is able to fulfill its mission of relieving hunger in the community through a network of partner agencies by acquiring and distributing food.

Sean Mitchell has been The Foodbank’s Volunteer and Marketing Manager for two years. Each year, with the help of our volunteers, we are able to send 1,500 kids weekend meals each week, provide 1,100 seniors a box of food each month, and participate in 30 mobile food distributions a month, just to name a few. After 14 devastating tornadoes hit the Miami Valley this past May, a whopping 1,018 Daytonians responded immediately, volunteering their time and efforts. These volunteers did everything from packing and sorting food donations, to assisting in the drive thru pantry, and writing love notes to those affected by the tornadoes. Last year, The Foodbank distributed 16 million pounds of food with nearly 8,400 volunteers assisting us.

The Foodbank, Inc.’s vision is that no one should go hungry. Volunteers give The Foodbank, Inc. the confidence to start new projects, because the community always seems to step up and help make vision a reality. The Foodbank, Inc. strives to educate our community and make volunteering as easy and efficient as possible. By having the number of volunteers we do, we are able to stay on top of our hunger relief efforts as well as say “yes” to new opportunities. To learn more about volunteering or how to get involved, click here!

September is Hunger Action Month, Feeding America’s nationwide network of food banks’ awareness campaign designed to mobilize the public to take action on the issue of hunger. Hunger is a reality for 1 in 6 of our Miami Valley neighbors. Together, we can end hunger one helping at a time. Every action counts, so visit us on social media @thefoodbankinc to learn how you can get started.

Hunger in the Miami Valley

Written by: Aniqa Ahmed, Advocacy Intern for The Foodbank, Inc.

According to the USDA, an estimated 41 million Americans go hungry every day; this statistic includes up to 13 million children. Many of these families are from areas that are food insecure, such as food deserts located in the Dayton area. A food desert is an area that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food, in contrast to an area with higher access to supermarkets or vegetable shops with fresh foods. The USDA defines food insecurity as “access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life”. Food insecurity and food access, while different, many times go hand in hand.

In the Dayton area alone, over 116,000 people suffer from food insecurity, including 33,770 children. The Foodbank, Inc. works to serve those impacted by these conditions by operating a drive thru food pantry, a monthly senior food box, distributing food through our many partner agencies, and advocating to elected officials on the importance of funding hunger relief programs.

As well as serving those in need, The Foodbank, Inc. is constantly advocating for hunger awareness. Lora Davenport, our Advocacy and Programs Manager helps advocate for food security on the local, state, and federal levels. The Foodbank, Inc. also shares numerous hunger relief related messages through social media, and educates and encourages volunteers to also raise awareness of food insecurity.

September is Hunger Action Month, Feeding America’s nationwide network of food banks’ awareness campaign designed to mobilize the public to take action on the issue of hunger. Hunger is a reality for 1 in 6 of our Miami Valley neighbors. Together, we can end hunger one helping at a time. Every action counts, so visit us on social media @thefoodbankinc to learn how you can get started.

Dayton, OH (8/16/2019): The Foodbank will be hosting a mass distribution on Friday, August 23rd for people in need of food assistance in Greene County in the parking lot of the Nutter Center from 9am to 11am.

The Foodbank works with food pantries across Montgomery, Greene, and Preble counties to feed people who qualify for food assistance. On August 23rd, The Foodbank will be giving out food to individuals through a mass distribution at the Wright State University’s Nutter Center. Individuals are welcome to come to the Nutter Center at 9am where they will receive fresh produce and other products at no cost. CareSource is sponsoring the event and will be volunteering their time to help pass out the food.

Michelle Riley, CEO of The Foodbank, says, “There are 21,170 individuals in Greene County alone who do not know where their next meal is coming from and we don’t want to see anyone go hungry in the Miami Valley. With support from CareSource, The Foodbank looks forward to serving those in need through this mass distribution.”

“The CareSource Foundation and The Foodbank have been great partners for over a decade,” said Cathy Ponitz, Vice President, CareSource Foundation. “Our mass food distributions are a result of understanding the unique needs of people in our surrounding communities. We’re honored and excited to greet our Greene County families with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, served by 150 CareSource employees.”

[Dayton, OH] April 22, 2019 – One in eight Americans in communities across the U.S. struggle with hunger, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including people in the Miami Valley. To raise awareness and combat the issue, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Feeding America® and The Foodbank, Inc. are kicking off its sixth annual nationwide “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” (FHSC) campaign, which will run from April 22 to May 20.

In partnership with The Foodbank, Walmart and Sam’s Club now invite shoppers in the Miami Valley to help fight hunger in their local community. There are three ways to participate – purchasing a participating item in-store or online, donating in-store, or donating on Feeding America’s website.

With 749 million meals achieved over the last five years, Miami Valley customers and members can help the Feeding America network secure its 1 billion cumulative meals goal in three ways. They can track the number of meals by visiting www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

For every participating product purchased at U.S. Walmart stores, Sam’s Clubs or on Walmart.com during the campaign, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent of at least one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America member food bank, up to applicable limits.

Donate money to your local Feeding America food bank at participating Sam’s Club and Walmart stores in the U.S.

Donate at feedingamerica.org/Walmart.

Walmart kickstarted the campaign with a $3 million donation to Feeding America and member food banks including The Foodbank, Inc. A purchase of one of the 267 participating items helps secure the equivalent of one meal. Each Walmart and Sam’s Club will partner with at least one Feeding America local food bank, and the 18 participating suppliers include: Bush Brothers, Campbell’s, Conagra Brands, Cliff Bar, General Mills, Gold Peak Tea, Great Value, Hidden Valley, JM Smucker, Kellogg, Kraft Heinz, McCormick, Motts, PepsiCo, Post, Uncle Ben’s, Nature Nate’s Honey and Unilever.

“As we go into our sixth year of the ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’ campaign, it’s exciting to approach the 1 billion mark in terms of charitable meals secured for Feeding America over the life of the program,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, chief sustainability officer for Walmart. “Food insecurity continues to affect communities across the United States. Working with Feeding America, our customers, members, associates and suppliers, Walmart and Sam’s Club aim to be part of the solution.”

Last year, The Foodbank benefited from $24,582 dollars from Walmart and Sam’s Club’s commitment to fight hunger.

Michelle L. Riley, CEO of The Foodbank, says, “Walmart and Sam’s Club stores across the Dayton area are foodbank champions. They continuously support our efforts, providing donated food items that end up in the hands of our 120,040 people who struggle with hunger locally. Fight Hunger Spark Change is another great way for the community to get involved, helping our neighbors in need.”

The Foodbank relieves hunger in the community through a network of partner agencies by acquiring and distributing food. Food and related supplies are distributed to a network of pantries, community kitchens, shelters and other charitable programs, all of which support the health and development of food insecure individuals in the Miami Valley. Through our over 100 member agencies, The Foodbank distributed nearly 13 million pounds of food last year. There are 120,040 food insecure individuals in our area, 34,650 of which are children.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 275 million customers and members visit our more than 11,300 stores under 58 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2019 revenue of $514.4 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

About Feeding America

Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 46 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.